Topline Movers Complaint - Break and Take - Moving Company

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- The owner gave me a “worse case scenario” quote over the phone of $680.00. No one came to the house for a written estimate. Knowing the square footage of our home and where we were moving .... a high rise downtown with a loading dock and freight elevator, a very local move. He said we would need a third man. That was included in the total for the quote. The owner denies the amount of the quote. Why would I go with them if I didn’t get a quote? We have other written quotes considerably lower but my husband wanted to go with Topline because they had moved us three years prior ($350.00) with no problems.

They were fifteen minutes late on moving day and we were charged for their lateness. We had everything boxed and organized to help things run smoothly. My husband was working as a fourth man and worked very hard all day moving boxes.

Felix, one of the movers, told us Thomas, another of the movers, wasn’t one of the companies full time movers and he didn’t really know what he was doing. The Topline website states only full time experienced movers. Thomas was called last minute because of a shortage. Felix was constantly correcting what he was doing and told Thomas NOT to touch the dining table. This is why my table base and floor was damaged. Thomas didn’t wrap the table base in cardboard, shrink wrap and blankets before he put it on the dolly. Felix explained this to us after we saw the broken table base. He said he should have watched him more closely.

The movers took a long lunch and went back to the office to get dollies on our time. Paul wasn’t able to park the truck (poor driving skills) in the appropriate location at the high rise close to the freight elevator so time was added because of the distance factor.

The last piece of furniture moved was my heavy armoire which was dragged at an angle over the unprotected hardwood floor because Thomas couldn’t get a grip on it and lift it with Felix. I watched and listened to the scratching of the floor. Two foot curved, deep scratch into the bedroom. It was dark by that time and I didn’t see the scratch until morning at which time I called Topline to report it. They said they would take care of it because it was obvious what had happened.

8:30AM to 6:20PM for a 1600 square foot house....four men working. $1050.00. It was a nightmare.

When we questioned the total, the owner was called and he yelled, threatened and called my husband names. We had to hang up because he became belligerent. I could hear him from across the room. Very unprofessional and irrational.

We ended up paying the $1050.00 that night because we were fearful of the owner's threats.

$500.00 damaged table base with a $250.00 glass top we now can’t use. Topline paid us $46.80.

Estimate to repair the damaged floor $350.00. Topline paid us nothing and claimed we damaged the floor.

The fact they were negligent and hired an incompetent mover, that they knew was a bad risk according to Felix, cancels out their ridiculously low settlement. The consumer deserves experienced people to handle their precious possessions. This was fraudulent .

The movers said Topline would take care of the damage problems and take it out of their checks over time. It happens all the time they said. Don’t worry they would make it good. They took our damaged table base and we haven’t seen it, just a photo from their warehouse …discarded like trash. It was a sixtieth birthday gift from my husband. Isn’t that theft?

We paid our part, even though we felt it was bait and switch. Now we have no dining table for the holidays.

The table base is going into the garbage unless you want it. You can come pick it up if you choose too. I can set the base outside my office so you wont have to face me if you like and Im sure you do not want to do that. Let me know I will be throwing it into the garbage on sat. All I ever did was call you a crook which is nothing but a valid statement.

Company Response on 02/14/2010:The Neffs report is not a valid report. Topline Movers does not give flat rates. The Neffs should have said something at the very start of the job when they signed the legal bill of laden working at the 2 hour mini of $285.00 and then at the $95.00 hour after. Estimate's over the phone are just estimates and ideas are given out to what I'm told. Even if I came to there home and gave them a estimate thats what it is a estimate. I have no records of the Neffs prior job and if Topline Movers did move them it was nothing like this move.

I have GPS on my truck for acturate times. The Neffs were charged for the time that we work plus drive time from Anthem to the high rise suite in downtown Phoenix. They were not overcharged for 15 mins. The Neffs were ready however the 100 or so shoe box size boxes takes much longer to move than regular standard boxes. Dennis did not work or help the men. Dennis pushed his furniture over the hard wood floor in the highrise suite, thats the work he had done.

Topline Movers wrapped and loaded a 26 foot moving van in 4 hours. What took so long was the long walk were the truck had to be parked, then the walk to the basement garage, then the small elevator that could only fit a couple of items each trip. It took 6 hours to unload the truck. With the issues at unloading I see nothing wrong with the time. Once again Dennis was in his suite not helping however sliding furniture over his wood floors.

Movers that were at their job, all were full time movers and what Felix said is not valid. The table base could have been damaged by any of the 3 movers. Why Felix would say these things? To make himself look better? Attemped to get a tip? I don't know, when I ask felix he said he never said any of those things. Thomas was not called on last minute.

The Movers did not charge for there lunch. They came to the office which was a total of 3 mins out of the way to pick up speed packs for your 100 or so small shoe box size full. Not for Topline Movers benifit however your benifit. It would have taken longer moving those shoe box size boxes if it wasn't for the speed packs (large boxes for use in these cases).

I was told about the table base late afternoon. I talked to Dennis and told him that the table base may be able to be repaired. I said let my men bring it back to the shop and I will see what can be done. Dennis said fine.

After the move I get a call from the crew lead saying that I told them $680.00. I said I need to talk to Dennis. Dennis got on the phone and told me just that. I said that I do not give flat rates and that Topline Movers works by the hour. Dennis contunied to argue the issue. I said that you need to pay your bill. Dennis contunied to argue and would not except my answer. I told Dennis again that I do not give flat rates OVER THE PHONE and that you need to pay your bill. I finally told Dennis to pay what he wanted and I would take him to court for the rest. I finally called him a crook. Never did I threaten Dennis nor would I ever do that.

Five days later I receive a e-mail stating that Topline Movers scrached the wood floors. Mrs Neff stated that they watched the movers scratch the floors that night. Nothing written on the bill of laden however a e-mail 5 days later. Dennis scratch his own floor by pushing his furniture around his suite. Topline Movers laid rug runners on their wood floors to protect from these types of damages. Topline Movers did not damage the floor. My men said that Dennis was pushing the furniture thourgh out the suite when they were there. annd who knows what was moved when Topline left.

My movers do not speak for Topline Movers about damage and what is repaired or not repaired.

Topline Movers has been in business for 12.5 years. Topline has a A+ rating with the BBB and Topline does not keep that rating by doing what you stated in your reveiws.

The Neffs put a conplaint into the BBB and before Topline Movers had responced back to the conplaint they had wrote 8-10 negative reveiws on as many website as possible. Saying these thing and much more negative things not stated in this reveiw.

I always attemped to make thing right. I would have paid for the repair to the table or if not repairable I would have gave a sum of money for a new one. Even thought the Neffs didn't purchased upgraded liability. They decided to stay with the standard liabilty of $0.60 cents per pound per article. After all the slander over the web and there reviews I gave them what they asked for. They got the $0.60 cents per pound per article and thats all that Topline Movers was liabily for.

I offered the table base back to them. They said that I took the table holding it for ransom. They posted my e-mail I see nothing wrong with this. I was giving it back to them. Search around and see the other reviews they wrote and the other versions that they wrote. I have e-mails from them showing there integerty.

Be careful when your moving. Movers do not give flat rates over the phone. There is liability in place when moving. Moving companies cannot take full vaule liability at the standard charges. Read and understand what you are signing and be resonsiable for what you sign.

FYI: BBB dropped there complaint do too all there different reviews and the signed bill of laden.